Summary of the Programs

The LRPs may repay a maximum of $35,000 a year toward each participant's outstanding eligible educational
debts. In return, participants must sign a contract agreeing to conduct appropriately qualified research
activities as NIH employees for a minimum of two years for the AIDS and CR-LRPs, or three years for the
General LRP. Participants may apply for additional one-year renewal contracts and, if approved by the
Loan Repayment Committee, will continue to receive loan repayment benefits. Actual loan repayments are
based on the proportion of a participant's qualifying debt relative to his/her beginning NIH salary.
Loan repayment benefits represent taxable income for participants and are paid in addition to HHS/NIH
salaries and benefits.

The LRPs make payments, equal to 39 percent of total loan repayments, for direct credit to participants'
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) federal tax accounts.

Individuals who wish to apply for these LRPs are encouraged to read the remainder of this bulletin
and complete and return the enclosed application forms through their Institute coordinator.

The National Institutes of Health

NIH is the world's largest biomedical research institution and is the lead federal agency responsible
for basic and clinical research and research training. NIH has its own hospital and more than 1,100
laboratories on its campus located in suburban Washington, D.C. NIH is comprised of separate Institutes
and Centers staffed by almost 4,500 researchers and health professionals holding doctoral- and
professional-level degrees, including Ph.D., M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., Pharm.D., A.D.N.,
and B.S.N. NIH offers a variety of accredited clinical and basic research fellowships for physicians
and other postdoctorates, as well as tenure-track and other employment opportunities.

The NIH Clinical Center is a 14-story, 350-bed research hospital designed with laboratories on each
floor. Patient-care facilities are located adjacent to related laboratories to provide optimal resources
for research while ensuring the highest possible level of clinical care.

Because studies are being conducted in almost every major field of biomedical and behavioral science,
NIH provides a unique environment for the conduct of interdisciplinary AIDS and multidisciplinary basic
and clinical research activities. NIH's AIDS effort encompasses work on the etiological agent, pathogenesis,
therapeutics, vaccine development, behavioral intervention, and the epidemiology and natural history of HIV infection. Multidisciplinary research activities include studies in molecular biology and biochemistry, genetics,
neurobiology, cell biology, immunology, and structural biology, among others. Clinical research activities
include biomedical and behavioral studies of the etiology, epidemiology, prevention (and prevention strategies),
diagnosis, or treatment of diseases, disorders or conditions, including but not limited to clinical trials.

Employment

Applicants for the NIH intramural LRPs must be NIH employees or have a firm commitment of employment.
Appointments are made under the broad authority of the Federal Civil Service (Title V or Title 42), or
the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. Responsibility for obtaining qualifying
employment rests with the LRP applicant.

Applicants for the General Research program (including LRP for ACGME Fellows) must hold a three-year appointment at the NIH beginning in the fiscal year in which they are applying.

Postdoctoral scientists at the earlier stages of their research careers who are interested in the LRPs may
seek employment under one of NIH's postdoctoral fellowship programs, which offer time-limited appointments
as Clinical or Research Associates, or Research Fellows (including Pharmacology Research Associates [PRAT]
and Epidemiology Fellows). Scientists selected for NIH's Tenure-Track Program may also participate, as may
scientists and health professionals (e.g., physicians, registered nurses) appointed in other temporary or
permanent positions. Note: The length of the appointment must equal or exceed the LRP contract length.

The NIH Office of Education (OE) coordinates the recruitment, education, and training of physicians and
scientists entering NIH residency/subspecialty training programs and postdoctoral fellowships and also
serves as a central contact point for scientists interested in tenure-track and other NIH employment
opportunities.
The OE Internet site
provides listings and descriptions of current NIH postdoctoral training opportunities and fellowship
positions as well as tenure-track openings. Individuals without Internet access may obtain further information
by calling 1-800-445-8283. Tenure-track and tenured positions are also advertised nationally in
appropriate scientific publications as well as posted on the Internet site. Some of the opportunities
and positions announced through these various methods qualify for the AIDS, CR-LRP, or the General LRP.

Program Administration

The NIH Division of Loan Repayment (DLR), located in the Office of Extramural Research, Office of the
Director (OD), administers the AIDS Research, General Research, and Clinical Research LRPs in accordance
with Sections 487A, 487C and 487E of the PHS Act. Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 68, 68a, and
68b, when adopted, will govern these programs. Should any provision of Parts 68, 68a, and 68b be inconsistent
with the Loan Repayment Programs Contract (NIH Form 2674-12), the regulatory provisions will be controlling.